Regular handwashing saves lives

ON OCTOBER 15 annually, the world comes together to highlight and remind people of the importance of proper handwashing through the Global Handwashing Day. Global Handwashing Day is a reminder for all citizens to regularly wash hands with soap and running water at critical times, especially after using the toilet, changing nappies, touching waste, before and after preparing food, and after touching any surfaces.

Clean hands save lives. Handwashing with soap and water is an easy, effective and affordable way to prevent diseases.

Handwashing with soap greatly reduces the transmission of a range of diseases. Handwashing with soap and water is a first-line of defence in preventing outbreaks and reducing the toll of both current and future pandemics.

In our daily activities and routines we usually touch many shared surfaces, exposing us to different kinds and forms of viruses, thus making it critical to frequently wash our hands to prevent us contracting and spreading diseases.

Proper handwashing contributes to mitigating the transmission of Covid-19 and will remain an essential prevention measure while vaccines are being rolled out. It is in our hands to contain the coronavirus and to prevent the spread of other diseases, so let us regularly wash and keep them clean and healthy at all times. Hand hygiene is a central part of the response to Covid-19, therefore regular handwashing must be a habit and a norm. Clean and healthy hands mean healthy communities and a healthy nation, so let us all adopt hand hygiene as part of our healthy habits.

THEMBA KHOZA | Department of Water and Sanitation